Food Banks Canada released its HungerCount 2010 survey in November. The report paints a grim picture of poverty in Canada and the continued growth in the need for services like food banks and other charitable food providers in our communities. This snapshot from thousands of hungry Canadians and from hundreds of food banks across the [...]
Archive for the ‘Poverty and Inequality’ Category
Food Banks
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010Home Heating Costs — Make or Break
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010When I think of winter coming, I imagine cosy weekends filled with children’s laughter and hot chocolate shared in the warm glow of a living room. But for too many people here in the BC Southern Interior, that first snowfall may feel a little more ominous. For some of our friends and neighbours—maybe even your [...]
Local Groups and MP Atamanenko Target Economic Well-being
Friday, October 29th, 2010WITH POOR NO MORE FILM & FORUM IN GRAND FORKS MP to also host Open House Drop In CASTLEGAR/GRAND FORKS, BC – The Boundary Women’s Resource Centre and MP Alex Atamanenko (BC Southern Interior) are co-sponsoring a public showing of the acclaimed film Poor No More, featuring Canadian actress and comedian Mary Walsh, on Tuesday, [...]
Poverty Elimination Bill
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010My colleague, Tony Martin issued the following Op-ed which I endorse and would like to share with you. On Thursday, June 17, 2010, Tony Martin introduced his bill, An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada This bill provides for strong federal leadership in partnership with provinces, territories and other key stakeholders including our First Nations [...]
Human Trafficking – statement in the House
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010Mr. Speaker, I received letters from two young women from Nelson, B.C., in which they raise the issue of human trafficking in the world.
Victims of Recession Lose Out – Banks Win Big in New Budget
Thursday, March 4th, 2010OTTAWA – People who lost their jobs and other victims of this recession are the losers in this budget while banks whose profits just doubled hit the jackpot, said New Democrat Leader Jack Layton. “Budgets are about choices. Mr. Harper has chosen to enrich banks and oil companies, the most profitable corporations in the country, [...]
Bank Executives Take Home Record Bonuses
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Christmas has come early for the executives of Canada’s chartered banks, while some of their consumers are being left with nothing more than a lump of coal in their stockings. An article in the December 10 edition of the Globe and Mail reported that “bonuses at the country’s six largest banks will reach a record [...]
Cuts to KAIROS – letter to Minister Oda
Monday, December 7th, 2009Minister Beverley Oda, P.C., M.P. International Cooperation Place du Centre, 12th floor 200 Promenade du Portage Gatineau, QC K1A 0G4 Dear Minister Oda, On behalf of many Canadians, I urge you to reverse the recent cuts made by CIDA to KAIROS. As you are aware, this decision in effect stops funding to 21 ecumenical and [...]
A Stronger Canada Pension Plan
Friday, November 27th, 2009For your entire career you have worked hard and built a good life for your family. Every paycheque, your deductions included a small amount that was tucked away in your public pension plan. When retirement came, you expected to be able to live in dignity with some measure of financial security. Yet this recession has [...]
Atamanenko Pleased that NDP EI Concerns will Finally be Addressed
Friday, October 9th, 2009Many families can hope for more this Thanksgiving weekend says Atamanenko CASTLEGAR MP Alex Atamanenko (BC Southern Interior) stated Friday that he is pleased with federal Human Resources Minister Finley’s statement Thursday that the government will finally agree to the amendments to Bill C-50 that the NDP has been calling for – to ensure long-tenured [...]